His Majesty's Pleasure
by StGenvieve
Summary: A bored 19 year old Albus Dumbledore gets a strange letter from a muggle styling himself the "Emperor of India". And suddenly, the future isn't what it once was


Any inaccuracies regarding age, military inaccuracies and the like I am most likely aware about, I just changed them for the sake of flow.

Chapter 1. Please find attached

Albus sighed, looking around his family home. Thin fabrics, the victim of one to many repairing charms, lay out across the couches that designate the sitting room. A dark scorch marks the roof, the result of one of Ariana's fits that refuses to be removed. A damp, musty smell permeates the house, as if it hasn't got a good cleaning in a long time. Outside, summer changes to spring as white and grey coalesce into green and brown.

It had been two years since he'd graduated from Hogwarts and what had he done? sit around watching birds and looking after Ariana. Piles of unread wizarding papers lay around his desk, which was unused except for penning an occasional request for news from a few old "Acquaintances". He laughed to himself at the use of that word, as if there were anything but tolerating his annoyances. Albus never had many friends at Hogwarts, apparently he was simply unlikeable. The news he'd heard back from them was dull, the muggles had apparently started a "Great War" between various warring empires on the continent.

Not that he was concerned, Muggles weren't exactly capable of doing much against a fully trained wizard.

Grumbling, Albus got up from his position by the window, and began pacing the room.

 _This isn't what I wanted!_ He silently ranted, ever careful not to wake Ariana, in fear of provoking another fit.

 _I was supposed to do something with my life, and I'm wasting it here looking after Ariana! I'm a good, even great Wizard! My talents are wasted here!_

A knock on the door took Albus out of his musings. _Strange,_ he thought, _there's no one likely to visit, and mother is upstairs sleeping_. Walking towards the door, Albus noticed a muggle in strange uniform holding a letter. _Muggles? What could they possibly want with us?_ Opening the door, the man turned to Albus and greeted him with a wide grin.

"Hello, are you Mister Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes, that would be me, how can I help you"

"Got a letter here for you sir, it looks very important, postmaster said to deliver to you personally, and seeing as how you don't have a letter box and all.." the man trailed off while holding out a thick manila envelope

"Well, thank you for taking such care with it. I'll just take that, and you have a nice day now"

"I will sir, you have a nice day sir" the man said, handing Albus the thick letter

Walking inside, Albus examined the thick envelope he'd received. It had his name on it, with a strange mark featuring a dragon and a unicorn. _Strange,_ he thought. _Muggles don't know about Dragons or Unicorns_.Opening the envelope, Albus was surprised to read what was inside:

 _Dear Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,_

 _You have been requested to serve at his Majesty's pleasure in the British Royal Army as per the Great War Drafting Act of 1914. Please find enclosed the instructions of your enlistment as well as a form objecting to your enlistment based on medical disability or career exclusion._

 _Please find all your enrolment details below:_

 _NAME. DUMBLEDORE, ALBUS P W B_

 _ORDER NO. 1024053_

 _SERVICE. ARMY 5TH BATTALION_

 _Please attend your registered enlistment day or, barring appropriate transportation, please contact the War Office building in Whitehall, London, for services to be arranged for you._

 _Mad God lead you to glory in your service to the crown._

 _For The glory of the Empire,_

 _By the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India_

 _King George V_

"Great Merlin" Dumbledore muttered. _They can't really expect me to fight in their war, can they? After all I'm a wizard, and this is a muggle war._ Dumbledore paced back and forth, mind ablaze with unending questions. _They aren't even supposed to know about us. No, I'll simply contact the ministry, they'll sort this ou-_

Suddenly, a great smile rose on Albus's face. _Actually,_ he thought. _this might be exactly what I was looking for._

Dashing upstairs, he packed as much of his things as he could into a satchel and, grabbing a quill, he left a note for his mother

 _Dear Mother,_

 _I've gone to find glory on the continent, give Ariana and Aberforth my love_

 _Love,_

 _Albus_

Fire in his belly, Albus raced out the door and on to his destiny.


End file.
